Who is Azan Awais, first Pak batter in 17 years to hit away Test century on debut?

Pakistan has found a new batting anchor in 21-year-old Azan Awais, who etched his name into the record books on Sunday by becoming the first Pakistani batter in 17 years to score an away Test century on debut.

The left-handed opener reached the milestone on Day 3 of the first Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Resuming his overnight score of 85, Awais showed remarkable composure in the morning session, bringing up his hundred in the 51st over with a single off pacer Nahid Rana. | BAN vs PAK, 1st Test Updates - Scorecard |

Awais is now the 14th Pakistani player to score a century in his maiden Test, joining an elite group that includes Javed Miandad and Younis Khan. However, his achievement is even more distinct; he is only the third Pakistani to hit a debut ton away from home, following in the footsteps of Fawad Alam and Umar Akmal, both of whom achieved the feat in 2009.

His innings of 103 came off 165 deliveries, peppered with 14 boundaries. While he was eventually dismissed by veteran seamer Taskin Ahmed shortly after reaching triple figures, his knock provided the backbone for Pakistan's response to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 413.

GRITTY KNOCK

It was not an easy ride. A short ball from Nahid Rana struck him on his helmet, and left him dazed.

Awais's response to the blow was a masterclass in grit. Despite being visibly shaken and undergoing two separate on-field concussion assessments, he refused to let the intimidation tactic break his rhythm.

Instead of retreating, he chose to counter-attack. In the final session of Day 2, he took on Nahid Rana-the very bowler who had struck him-dismantling the pacer's rhythm with three consecutive boundaries. This aggressive display effectively forced Rana out of the attack and allowed Awais to finish the day unbeaten on 85, eventually converting it into his historic century on the morning of Day 3.

His batting partner Imam-ul-Haq heaped praise, saying the experience of having played first-class cricket helped Azam on his Test debut. He played 33 first-class matches, scoring 2673 runs at an average of 48.60 before his Test debut.

"You should prioritise red-ball domestic cricket. Azan has played 33 first-class matches and scored 10 hundreds. His record speaks for itself," Imam said.

"He was batting under pressure. There was lateral movement and the Bangladesh bowlers were playing with decent pace. He held his composure. He absorbed all the pressure, and it really helps having played so much domestic cricket."

A PROLIFIC RISE

Born in Sialkot in 2004, Awais has long been earmarked as a "big-match" player. While he was a key figure in Pakistan's 2024 Under-19 World Cup run-top-scoring in the semi-final against Australia – it was the 2023 Under-19 Asia Cup where he truly announced himself.

His transition to first-class cricket was equally explosive. Representing Sialkot, he dominated the 2024-25 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 844 runs at an average of 76.73, including a career-best 203 not out. This relentless domestic form, combined with a successful "Shaheens" tour of England last year, made his senior call-up inevitable.

With his technical solidity and ability to accelerate, Awais is already being touted as a long-term solution for Pakistan's opening woes across formats. His debut performance in Dhaka has not only stabilised the current Test but has also heightened expectations for the remainder of the series.